From teacher to Olympian

July 30 2008

During the term-time Alistair McGregor is a PE teacher in Leicestershire, but this summer he will take on a very different mantle.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper is travelling to Beijing to compete in the Olympics as part of the British hockey team, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reports.

It is unusual for a part-time sportsman to make it onto the Olympic squad and Mr McGregor only finished work this week, after preparing everything for his school's sports day.

"Although working right up to the day of our flight did mean training on my own three nights a week, it has been good to keep me busy … it would be easy to get into an Olympic bubble and think of nothing else, but being at work has kept my mind occupied," he told the newspaper.

He added that now that the day of his departure is nearing, he has really begun to focus on the games.

Mr McGregor is not the only teacher heading to China for the Olympics this year - Michaela Breeze, a PE instructor from Watford, is the UK's only representative in the weightlifting event this year, the Cornish Guardian reports.

News brought to you by TimePlan, First for teaching jobs in the UK

Search for teaching jobs in England and Scotland.

News Homepage